


Special Minds

by Dichan03



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: But He Gets Better, F/M, M/M, autist Spencer Reid, not really Derek Morgan friendly at first, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:27:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26101912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dichan03/pseuds/Dichan03
Summary: Crime scene cleaner job is everything BUT lovely and sexy, yet, Spencer manages to find his wet dream doing exactly that job. And the man's everything he could wish. The fact that he's a genius who took a sabbatical before joining the BAU was only a bonus.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 28





	1. The beginning is the best part of friendship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maythe4thbewithyou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maythe4thbewithyou/gifts).



> Hi guys! This is the first story I publish on Criminal Minds and my second on AO3. Don't be shy to tell me what I could write better.   
> Have a nice day!

New York was a busy city, and it made Spencer dizzy. It was a bit like Washington, but there was something unique about the Big Apple, something you couldn’t find in DC.  
They were chasing an UNSUB who had 8 victims on his counter. Stabbed, slaughtered young men and women, found in their apartments. They had to found who did that quickly.  
After meeting the police officers, they divided the team to visit the crime scenes and the victim’s relatives.  
“Reid, you come with me on the last crime scene. JJ, Morgan, you visit the relatives. Rossi and Callahan, I want you to talk with the Detectives.”  
Everyone nodded and went to their assignations. Reid followed Hotch to the car and called shotgun. As usual, the Unit Chief drove and they quickly arrived in Manhattan, near the University of Columbia. Most of the victims attended that College. Maybe the UNSUB attended too?  
“It’s a nice neighborhood,” noted Reid.  
“Let’s get a look inside.”  
They climbed the stairs and came into the small apartment. Hotch heard something and motioned for the young Doctor to stay outside while he took his gun from his holster. He advanced slowly and looked around, his gun following the movement.  
Suddenly, he stopped and stilled.  
“FBI! Raise your hands in the air! I said raise your hands in the air!”  
Spencer saw a pair of hands slowly rising from behind the couch. Hand in white latex gloves, soon followed by a head with a blue overall hood and a protective mask with round, metallic glasses.  
“Who are you?” asked Hotch. “And what are you doing on a crime scene?”  
“I could ask the same question! You are bothering me, I’m doing my job!”  
“What job?” echoed the older man, dumbfounded.  
“Have you never encountered a crime scene cleaner? I’m serious here. You’re not supposed to come here that long after the murder. You come after the murder, then, the Forensics and AFTER, I make my grand entrance to play the cleaning fairy. It’s not my job to explain yours to you.”  
The man sighed and eyed Hotch before taking off his blood-stained gloves before doing the same with the protection mask and the hood. Now, Spencer and Aaron could see him clearly. He had short, jet-black hair, onyx-black eyes shining like jewels and alabaster skin. Spencer looked at the wide cheekbones and pointed, long jaw with appreciation. This man was tall, dark, and handsome, like black coffee with the right amount of sugar. Exactly the way Spencer liked it. And when he talked, you could hear that slight accent that was Slavic, but not entirely. Reid was damned because he had a thing for those men.  
“May I stand up before going to shoot me, Agent? And could you at least decline your identities? That would be nice of you. And as a proof of goodwill, I’ll introduce myself first, so you know whom you’re gonna shot. Heïdi Lioudovich Nikiforov, crime scene cleaner.”  
“Unit Chief Hotchner, from the Behavior Analysis Unit. And this is Dr. Spencer Reid. I heard your name somewhere…”  
“Yeah, I was supposed to join the BAU after graduating from my last Ph.D. But I took a sabbatical. And here I am, seeing the other side of crime. Your names are familiar too. I was going to join your team.” said the other dark-haired man, standing up.  
He was damn tall, around 6’5”. Tall and lean, but strong.  
Hotch nodded and glared at Reid, who was still looking at the other man like he was eye candy. The genius jumped a little and blushed. Heïdi Lioudovich winked at him, making Reid’s cheek redden even more.  
“Like what you see, Dr. Reid?”  
“Y-You have an interesting facial symmetry… And your eye color, I’ve… I’ve never seen it… Sorry, Heïdi Lioudovich, I shouldn’t stare at you…”  
“Heïdi is fine, малечка (baby). We’re not in Russia. I’m glad you find my facial symmetry interesting. I think you’re cute too.”  
‘Good Lord’ thought Spencer. That cute smile would be the death of him. And why was he taking off his overalls? Those forearms could make panties (and Spencer’s underwear) disappear in the second. Seriously, like magic. They were strong, covered in colorful tattoos. Japanese waves and watercolor flowers. He was probably one of the few men on Earth to assume flower tattoos that could be seen on women. They suited him.  
“Reid,” called Hotch.  
“S-Sorry…”  
“Since you cleaned the scene, could you explain how things were? It would be better than looking at pictures.”  
“Okay.”  
For the next hour, Heïdi explained how the crime happened and even did a demonstration, straddling Reid’s hips while he played the murderer and Spencer the victim. Needless to say, the latter enjoyed the little show. The strong muscle under his plaid shirt working each time he moved, and the small patch of pale skin that showed when he raised his arm and the shirt riled up. Showing enough to entice curiosity but not enough to be satisfying.  
Damn, why couldn't he think straight when that man was there? Oh yeah, he was a gay walking disaster. And by Hotch's look, his Boss knew what he was thinking about it.  
'Get your mind together, Spencer' thought the genius.  
“That’s how it happened, in my mind.”  
“Would you come to the Police station so we could write that down? Your theory is more than interesting.”  
“I would, but my last assistant ditched me when he saw that and dried blood is a pain in the everything to clean up. Especially on white walls and carpets. No one truly knows how difficult it is to clean something before you have cleaned brain residue and blood on the carpet.”  
Hotch nodded, because he actually knew, and proposed their help. It would be the first time he would clean a crime scene.  
“That’s nice of you. I have spare overalls in the blue box at the bottom of my cart, gloves, and protective masks in the white one.” smiled Heïdi, looking delighted to have some help. “Since I’m taller, I can take care of the drops on the ceiling, so you won’t have to bother with those. Don’t worry if you don’t get everything, a carpet’s really a pain to wash in normal conditions. I prefer hardwood floors or even floor tiles.”  
“Why did your assistant leave?” asked Spencer, curious about this unusual job (and this unusual man, if he was honest).  
“He had a delicate stomach. I had to clean his vomit before anything else. And it’s not like I didn’t tell him to NOT eat before work. I’m lucky to be unaffected.”  
“How so?” inquired Hotch, zipping his overall.  
“My stomach is everything but delicate,” answered Heïdi with a smirk.  
They cleaned quickly the apartment and threw their overalls, gloves, and mask in the bin the cleaner carried in his cart.   
“Now, I’m ready to go to the station. Sorry to have bothered you.”  
“You didn’t bother anyone. Do you need us to drive you?”  
“I have my van, so I’ll just follow you.”   
The drive to the station was filled with questions about this curious man and glances in the side mirrors to check if he was following them.  
“Where were you?” asked Rossi when they came back to their designated room.  
“On the last crime scene.”  
“For 3 hours? And who’s that?” added the older profiler when he saw Heïdi behind Reid, as they chatted about something commoners couldn’t understand.  
“That’s the crime scene cleaner.”  
When he heard Hotch talk about him, the tall man turned to face David and smiled brightly at him. He even waved at him shyly.  
“Hello, Mister Rossi. I’m Heïdi Lioudovich Nikiforov, but call me Heïdi. Your books were amazing and the theory about narcissists perverts killers was utterly interesting.”  
“Mio Dio, did you cloned Reid?”  
“I don’t think that cloning is actually a reality. This needs too much improving and adjustments in science and ethics.” said the Russian man, frowning.  
“He’s as tall as he’s smart. What’s your IQ, bambino?” chuckled the novel author.  
“195, 4 Ph.D. and 2 Bachelors, I can read 21500 words per minute.” answered the younger man quickly.  
“You have competition, now, Spencer.”  
‘I think they will actually team up against us to take over the world’, thought Hotch, sighing mentally. ‘They would most likely succeed’  
“Could you expose us to your theory, Mister Nikiforov?”  
“If I wanted people to call me ‘Mister Nikiforov’, I would have become a lawyer like my brother. Please call me Heïdi or don’t call me at all.”  
That made Rossi let out a strangled laugh as he was trying to restrain himself from actually laughing because of Hotch’s glare.  
“Mister Nikiforov, I can’t call you by your first name.”  
Much to the Unit Chief’s surprise, and Dave’s amusement, the young genius ignored him and continued talking to Spencer. At this point, the older man was nearly rolling on the floor. Hotch glared at him but it only fueled his friend’s giggles.  
“Okay, fine… Heïdi,” said Hotch with a long-suffering sigh.  
“Yes?” smiled the young man, battling his eyelashes like a Disney Princess.  
David had to go out of the room, laughing hysterically. The policemen and women in the bullpen looked at him with curiosity, especially the other BAU members.  
Spencer nudged his new friend with a fake glare.   
“So you want me to explain my theory to your team, that’s right? With or without demonstration?”  
“Demonstration-free, please.”  
‘I don’t think Reid would survive another display’.   
“Follow me, please.”  
“Sure.”  
When they came to the bullpen, Dave was mostly calm but some giggles escaped him. Morgan glared at the newcomer, probably because he was standing close to Reid.  
“Who’s that, Hotch?” growled the dark-skinned agent.  
“I’m Heïdi Lioudovich Nikiforov. A pleasure to meet you, Agent Morgan.” smiled Heïdi, waving at Derek.   
“What kind of name is that?” joked the latter.  
“It’s a French-Russian name. That means I’m Heïdi, son of Louis Nikiforov.”  
“I wasn’t asking for a presentation.” snapped Morgan.  
“Oh, sorry…” whispered Heïdi, looking suddenly uneasy.  
“Could you explain your theory to us?” asked Hotch, feeling the sudden discomfort in the room.  
Heïdi nodded and obeyed, but the flame in his dark eyes was replaced by fear and embarrassment. He looked like Reid on his first day at the BAU, thought Hotch. He was easily scared and one remark could make him uneasy.   
“I’ll just… Please give me 5 minutes alone…”  
The young man stormed out of the bullpen to the toilets and Reid followed him. There was a strange camaraderie between them, and the Unit Chief feared to understand what was happening between the two geniuses.  
When 5 minutes became ten, then 15, JJ proposed to see if they were okay. Hotch refused. It was his job, to check if his subordinates were okay. And maybe Heïdi wasn’t one of his subordinates, but he felt responsible for him, somehow.  
“I expect you to behave, Morgan,” he said before walking to the men’s restroom.  
When he pushed the door, the first thing he noted was Reid talking softly, probably in one of the toilets cubicles.  
“He’s not always mean… Was like that to me at first, too. I just had to tell him and he paid more attention to what he said…”  
“Don’ wan’ pi'y…” was the muffled answer, as if Heïdi was talking with something in his mouth.   
“You know that if someone is mean to you, I can still take the first flight to New York and beat the wickedness out of them, right? Like, kick their ass to the moon and back, to teach them a lesson.” said a voice coming from a phone.   
“That’s physically impossible.” chorused the two geniuses.  
Well, the taller man’s answer was sounding more like ‘At’s physsica’y im’p’sible’, but it was kind of cute and endearing.  
“Boys, I think someone is standing next to you. Were you waiting for someone?”  
Aaron decided it was his cue to make himself known. He knocked softly at the door.  
“Reid, Heïdi, could one of you open the door? It’s just me.”  
It was Spencer, who pulled the door before sitting back on his spot on the floor. The cubicle was large, but the two geniuses were a little cramped, with their long limbs. They tangled their legs in impossible positions that made Hotch wince.   
Spencer was holding a phone that wasn’t his and Heïdi had some blue, round chewing toy as a necklace in his mouth. Aaron could see the movement of his strong jaw. He was just glad that it wasn’t one of his fingers or something alive been crunched by those teeth.  
“Hey. How’s it going inside there?”  
“It’s my cue to leave you. Call me anytime, маленький брат (Lil brother). Спенсер (Spencer), it was a pleasure to meet you. You too Boss! Bye!” said the man on the other side of the phone before ending the call.  
“Your brother?” asked Hotch softly to the taller man.  
Heïdi nodded, still chewing on his toy, mumbling a ‘Thomas’. Much to Reid’s surprise, his boss sat with them on the ground.  
“Are you alright? Both of you?”  
“Morgan’s attitude was a little overwhelming,” said Spencer.   
“I can understand that. We will have a word, just him and me after I finish talking with you two.”  
The Russian man chewed harder on his toy, to the point where any other would-be shredded or broken. But this one? It took the treatment without any noise. Brave little thing.  
“What’s that? A chewing toy? I like the color.”  
“That’s a sensory chew toy. Some like to call that ‘chewelry’.”  
“Like your stress ball?”   
Reid nodded, taking out his ball. He recently bought it and liked to press it on different occasions. When stressed, concentrated, or overwhelmed. Heïdi took his toy out of his mouth and looked at Hotch. Hotch’s tie, in fact.  
“I have autism and an oral fixation. I like to chew or suck on things.”  
“Thank you for telling me,” said Aaron, who already guessed why the young man was acting like that. “How about we go back to the bullpen and you stay with the girls and Rossi while I have a word with Morgan? You could take a snack from the breakroom, I think someone brought doughnuts.”  
“With chocolate frosting and rainbow sparkles?” asked Spencer, perking up.  
“You should go quickly because those are popular, from what I heard.”  
They all stood up and Heïdi took time to wash his toy and tucking it under his shirt before following the two Agents.  
“Morgan, come with me right now.” said Hotch with his ‘Boss-voice’ before leaving his team to close their designated room’s door after the SSA. “Care you explain your attitude?”  
“Come on, Hotch, he was stupid on that one.”  
“Would you act like that with Reid?”  
“Why are you-… He’s autist? How could I know?”  
“You’re going to apologize. Right now.”  
Morgan sighed.   
“Hotch, I’m not 10 anymore!”  
“You’re not 10 years old anymore, but you certainly acted like one. So now, act like an adult and assume your errors. You would never talk to Reid like you did, and yet, you just did to his friend. So you’re going to apologize and act with courtesy. If I hear something like that coming from you again, I won’t let that slip. Are we clear?”  
“Crystal clear, Sir…”  
“Now, we can go back to the case in a courteous and professional atmosphere.”


	2. Family meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After two months of phone calls, Spencer finally meets the rest of the family while helping Heïdi to move in his new flat. Strangely, he feels at ease with them and maybe his relationship with his fellow genius will take another path.

Heïdi was a great help for this case. He gave an accurate profile and it helped them to catch the UNSUB. Hotch was grateful for this unexpected help. Now, they were about to fly back to Washington, but the Unit Chief insisted to talk with the tall genius. He drove a car with part of the team to the airport and nodded when Aaron asked him to stay in the car with him.  
“You were supposed to join our team, right?”  
“Yes, but I wasn’t sure if there would be a free place after my sabbatical. There wasn’t before.”  
Over the days, the young man became comfortable with most of the team. JJ acted like a mother to him, as she did for Spencer, and Emily tried to understand how his mind worked (it would probably take years and years to succeed). Rossi was happy to hear stories of the young man’s country. It wasn’t Italy, but Russia and France had their charms. Callahan traded childhood stories with him. Heïdi was the younger one in a family of 6 brothers. He had many funny stories to share about his crazy family. Hotch liked to hear about those.  
“How much time do you have left before going back to Washington?” asked Hotch, sitting next to the taller man.   
“2 months.”  
Aaron nodded. With time passing, he learned how much that young man was endearing and smart, with his cute smiles and wise remarks. He was gifted for the profiling job, even more as he was a man who decided to study human being despite his autism.  
“Well, let’s make a deal, okay?”  
Heïdi nodded and played with his chew toy in his fingers. Even his oral fixation wasn’t disgusting, as Morgan seemed to think. The man frowned each time he saw the blue toy. It didn’t matter to Hotch. The lad could do whatever he wanted as long it soothed him.   
“If you promise me to not accept a job anywhere else, then, in two months, I will have a place for you in my team. Finish your job here, take some days to settle down back in DC, and then, call me. I’ll keep your place warm. Is that alright with you?”  
“What’s my part of the deal? A deal is two persons giving something to each other.”  
“Your part is after that. You call me, and after you come back to the FBI, you give the best of yourself, you follow my orders and you work with the team. That’s your part, Heïdi. Do you think you can do that?”  
The young man nodded and nibbled on his toy, his dark eyes fixed on some detail on the wall.  
“Your team is nice. I think I can work with them.”  
Hotch nodded and patted Heïdi’s shoulder firmly. He quickly told them that light touch was displeasing to him, to the verge of hurting, after Prentiss lightly touched his arm with the tip of her finger. So it was deep touch or no touch at all.  
Aside from this restriction, working with him was pleasant. He was different from Reid in his behavior and quirks, but he managed to tune them down when he had to concentrate. Heïdi tried to keep his chewing on his toy (from what he told Kate, he used to chew on everything when he was younger) and in private, as even he and Reid could see when Morgan was disgusted. When he talked about something he enjoyed, like his 4 Ph.D. or something he was reading at that time, he ‘talked like Hermione Granger’, according to Prentiss (he talked, talked, talked, took a deep breath and continued talking) and it was hard to tell which brother of his he was talking about since he called all of them ‘my brother’. Rossi already called him and Spencer ‘Bambini’, as he saw them as his grandchildren.  
“They like you already. Now, I have to go, but you have my number, so call me anytime. Even if it’s just to talk, okay.”  
“Okay.”   
Hotch left the car and joined his team in the jet. Everyone went about their business, Rossi playing chess against Reid. JJ was looking at her protegee fondly from her seat.  
“Will he be okay?” asked Kate.  
“He was okay until now. He doesn’t need Reid to be okay.”  
Aaron frowned at Morgan who got the message and turned his head to the airplane window. He knew what his Boss and coworkers thought about his attitude, but he couldn’t help. Why was Reid fawning over this spoiled brat? Seriously, he could find better.  
.  
.  
Two months passed slowly for Spencer. He called his friend in New York often, told him about their cases, and listened about his job. They talked for hours and learned about each other. Heïdi told him that he had two cats with mythological names, his favorite color was peacock blue and his brother Thomas (the one who talked to them that day in the toilets) was a baker who mastered the art of gluten-free pastry. In return, Spencer told him about the last books he bought, his mom, and his chess games against Rossi.   
“Thomas has his main bakery in DC, we could go there after I come back? Together?” proposed the man in New York.  
“That would be great. He sounded nice.”   
“Be careful, he makes a lot of puns and bad jokes. He also has sweets named cats.”  
“Oh, what are their names?”  
“Sorbet and Waffle.”  
Spencer found those names cute and said so. He could hear that cute smile in Heïdi’s voice when he talked about his family. He was a proud brother and keen uncle, telling his profiler friend about his nephews and nieces latest antics he learned about. His brothers all lived in DC and he missed them too much, but he also enjoyed his time in New York. Working as a crime scene cleaner was great and it would certainly help him to understand his work at the FBI better.   
“You come back tomorrow, right? Do you need help to move in?”  
“I don’t want to bother you on a Saturday, Spencer. And Barthelemy came in New York with the truck, so we’ll drive early tomorrow. If you want to come, you’re welcome. We should arrive at midday and have lunch at my place before unpacking everything. Do you want to join us?”  
“That would mean meeting your brothers…”  
“I talk about you all the time. Simon told me he was glad I met someone like you, so he would be happy to meet you.”  
Spencer actually blushed at that. He immediately felt something for Heïdi. The genius may not believe in love at first sight, but what he felt could be compared to that. It was weird, but somehow, Reid liked it.  
“I’ll be happy to see you and meet your brothers.”  
“I’m eager to introduce them to you. One of them can fetch you if you want. That would easier than taking the metro.”  
Reid gave his address and his interlocutor said he was on one of his brothers’ paths to his apartment.   
“Jean will pick you up tomorrow. I’ll give you his phone number so you can text him. Пока Спенсер (Bye, Spencer), see you tomorrow.”  
“Bye too.”  
Soon, Spencer’s phone buzzed with a new text, Jean’s number. He texted the second son immediately and the answer didn’t wait.  
‘I’ll gladly pick you up, Spencer. How about I come around midday?’ read Spencer.  
He accepted and couldn’t help but flicking his fingers. He tried to not stim in front of other persons, but right now, he was alone and he couldn’t do anything else. Knowing he would see the other genius tomorrow filled his chest and belly with fireworks.  
.  
.  
Jean knocked at his door at half-past twelve and Spencer restrained himself to not jump on the wooden panel.  
“Hi, Spencer. I’m Jean, delighted to finally meet you and put a face on your name.” said a man with jet-black, slicked-back hair, and onyx-black eyes.  
The parent link between him and Heïdi was evident and you had to be blind to not see it. They had the same diamond-shaped face and features. Jean (the French name was a bit weird on his tongue) was smaller than him, but he stood up straight and looked confident.  
“H-Hello… It’s nice to meet you too.”  
“Why don’t we go to my car? Bart and Dee shall arrive soon after us.”  
The trip was actually nice. Jean was a confident, yet careful driver and he could talk while driving smoothly. He asked questions to Spencer that weren’t intrusive at all and seemed to know what was on his mind.   
“There’s a bookshop and a coffee shop near his apartment. I fear my little brother will spend all his free time there. Tell me, Spencer, do you like coffee?” asked the older man as he stopped the car in front of a small building.  
“A bit too much, sometimes.”  
“Don’t worry, my brothers and me too. Except for Thomas, but not everyone can be perfect.”  
“I heard that Old man.” said someone outside the car.  
“Of course, Half-Pint.” grinned Jean.  
The new brother was smaller than Jean by two inches and had long hair in a man bun, some strands framing his face. From the voice, and what Jean said, Spencer could guess it was Thomas, the one he spoke with on the phone.  
“Holla! It was about time we meet each other, right Spence-boy?” grinned Thomas.  
“Hello, Thomas.”  
“Come on, you two. We’re at the flat with lunch, pastries, and coffee for you addicts.”  
“Did Asami had his weekend?”  
“Yeah. And it wasn’t like we needed extra arms, but he wanted to come, so the kiddos are with Annie.”  
Jean told Spencer that Asami was Thomas’ husband and ‘Annie’ was Simon’s housekeeper and the kids’ nanny.  
“She worked for our parents since Si’ and I were babies, and when we left Russia, she tagged along with Fergus, her husband.”  
Heïdi’s flat was on the second floor, with a nice view of the street. The walls were white and the floor was made of oak, with light coming from the large windows. Two camping tables were set in the middle of the large living room/kitchen, for 11 persons. Plates of various salads and sandwiches were already on the tables.  
“Ah, Thomas! We’re struggling to decide which color we’ll take for the living room’s curtains!”  
“Dee and I already decided the colors, it’s in the box I brought. Mustard yellow inside, then beige and emerald green.”  
The two women nodded in agreement and seemed to notice Spencer. One was tall, with short brown hair, sun-kissed skin, and bright blue eyes. The profiler noticed that she had a prosthesis on her right forearm. The second one was smaller, with long, dark brown curls and hazel eyes.  
“Hello. I’m Estrella and that’s Andrea.”  
“Spencer Reid. Nice to meet you.”  
“Nice to meet you too, sweetie.” smiled Estrella. “Let me introduce you to everyone. That Nikiforov is my husband, Mathieu. With him, that’s Asami, Thomas’ better half, and Simon, the older brother. Lucas should be somewhere in the bedroom. He’s Simon’s Honey Bunny.”  
“I’m no one’s ‘Honey Bunny’.” said a blonde man with a frown on his face, coming in the living room.  
“Yes, you are. You’re mine.” grinned the one introduced as Simon. “Good day, Spencer. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Simon Lioudovich Nikiforov.”  
He didn’t offer his hand for Spencer to shake it and the genius was grateful. Maybe Heïdi told them he didn’t like to shake hands?  
“Bart and Dee are parking the truck,” said Asami, looking outside by the window.  
“I haven’t seen my Babykins for too long!” complained Estrella, pouting.   
“I’m not a baby anymore, Lala.”  
The small brunette let out a loud squeal and jumped on the man who opened the door. It was Heïdi, realized Spencer with a smile. His friend and a bulkier version of him. Most likely Barthelemy.  
“Hey Champ, how was your stay at the Big Apple?” asked Jean.  
Simon dismissed Estrella to hug his younger brother tightly, mumbling something. Heïdi was grinning from ear to ear, hugging the older man back.  
“Oï, Dean, can you let Sammy go so we, commoners, could greet him too?” sassed Mathieu, one eyebrow raised.  
Heïdi beamed at the nickname because he liked the TV show Supernatural, and he hugged each member of his family before standing awkwardly in front of Spencer.  
“Hello, Spencer.”  
“Hi Heïdi, it’s been a while.”  
“Good Lord, they’re so cute…” cooed Andrea.  
“Let the munchkins greet each other!” whispered Thomas. “It’s an important step in their relationship!”  
After some minutes of awkward staring, aborted movements, and smiles, the two geniuses decided to hug each other. They became close enough to do that without being uncomfortable. When they parted, Spencer knew he was blushing and Heïdi’s cheeks were pink.  
“Why don’t we eat before bringing the boxes and furniture here?” proposed Simon. "When are you little devils arriving?"  
"A neighbor will bring them to the airport in two days, so they won't be bothered by unpacked boxes."  
They sat around the tables and Spencer listened to the conversations, sometimes answering a question or smiling at someone. It was easy, to be with those persons, despite their number. And Heïdi’s presence only made things easier. They sat face to face and their feet were touching. Sometimes, when one of them moved their shoes would rub against each other, and, when it was time for coffee, after lunch, their ankles were tangled. Spencer wasn’t often offered coffee after eating, except for breakfast, but he accepted the cup gratefully. It seemed that Europeans did that often.  
They cleared the tables, folded them, and cleaned the dishes quickly. After that, everyone went to the truck to take boxes and lift them to the flat. Barthelemy and Asami took a peacock blue couch, a bed, and all the heavy furniture while the other took the rest.   
It took some hours, but at nightfall, Heïdi’s apartment could finally be called a home. Two or three boxes containing books were still unopened, but it eventually looked like a habitable place.  
“I expect you to come next weekend at home for a barbecue. If you don’t, you’ll have an army of tiny demons at your feet, led by Annie and Fergus, you know that, right?” said Lucas, hugging his brother-in-law goodbye.  
“I’ll be on time for lunch.”  
“And your plus-one will always be welcome with any of us, okay?” smiled the blonde man, looking at Spencer.  
The current FBI Agent smiled shyly and waved at the couples leaving. Thomas, always bold and affectionate, hugged him, as did Andrea, Estrella, and Simon. The older Nikiforov seemed to like him and already called Spencer pet names.  
“The kids are having a sleepover at our place, so you can drop Spencer off at his place,” said Simon, hugging his little brother one last time.  
Heïdi walked them to the cars and smiled at Spencer.  
“Thank you for coming today. It means a lot to me, to introduce you to my family. I… If you’re not against it… I’d like us to be more than friends…” blushed the taller man.  
“I-I’d like that too…”  
“Let’s go at our rhythm, okay? Slow or fast, how we feel like.”   
“That would be great. May… May I kiss you?”  
“I would love that.” smiled Heïdi, looking relieved.   
Their kiss was chaste, just Spencer’s lips against the other man’s, but it sent fireworks in their stomachs and their cheeks reddened. When they parted, Heïdi’s impossibly dark eyes were sparkling and he was smiling brightly.  
“Good night.” said the Russian man, pecking Spencer’s lips again before moving back.  
“Спокойной ночи. (Good night)”.


	3. First day is not always the best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day can be tough, but the two geniuses manage to go through it. It can be hard, especially when your friend makes it difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that I could post this chapter before I begin a new job. Sadly, I won't have that much time to write after, but I'll try to post as many chapters as I can before my first day. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Socially distanced hugs for everyone!

Last Friday, Hotch was at his office when he received a phone call around 5 pm, from an unknown number.   
“Hotchner.”  
“Erm… Mister Hotchner? That’s Heïdi… Heïdi Lioudovich Nikiforov… I don’t know if you remember me…” rambled an unsure, familiar voice.  
“Good day, Heïdi. Yes, I remember you. Cool down, okay? I assume you came back to Washington?” said Aaron with a fond smile.  
“Y-Yes… Sorry, phones make me nervous… Y-You asked me to call you when I was settled… My brothers and Spencer helped me to unpack everything… So I am… I’m calling you.”  
Hotch couldn’t help but chuckle. Damn, that boy was adorable. Especially when he was flustered. The Unit Chief could picture a pretty blush and flicking fingers easily.   
“Thank you for doing it. And welcome back to DC. As promised, you can begin to work with the BAU as soon as you feel ready. Is that alright with you?”  
“Y-Yes! I mean… Yes, it’s alright. Thank you, Mister Hotchner.”  
“Heïdi, if you’re working under my orders and if I call you Heïdi, you have to call me ‘Hotch’. Okay?”  
“Okay… Hotch… Oh, sorry, my brother’s calling me… Bye Hotch.”  
“Bye Heïdi.”  
The call ended and Hotch smiled. He knew that Reid and Heïdi had been talking by phone since they left New York and that their genius was interested in the other man. It didn’t bother Hotch, that Reid liked another man. It would be hypocritical since he was bisexual himself. The only bothering part was that he felt attracted to Reid, but Hotch was 15 years older and his Boss. He couldn’t do that, especially since the young genius found someone his age who liked him too. Because it was obvious that the taller man fancied Reid back. He couldn’t break that bond for a crush.  
.  
.  
As agreed, Heïdi Nikiforov came the next Monday, 15 minutes before the hour Hotch gave him. He wasn’t alone, noticed the Unit Chief. A man that looked a lot like the young genius was walking next to him, holding a suitcase while Heïdi had his messenger bag on his hip and a box in his arms.  
Before Hotch could come down in the bullpen, Garcia was already walking as fast as she could on her high heels to greet the new team member. The other smiled when they saw the computer analyst refrain herself from hugging the tall genius. Someone probably told her about his physical contact issues.  
“Hello, Miss Garcia. My name is Heïdi Lioudovich Nikiforov. And that’s my brother, Simon.” said Heïdi with a shy smile.  
Garcia cooed and Simon snorted, clearly amused. So he was the famous Simon Lioudovich Nikiforov, the older one. Everyone in the team introduced themselves to the man.  
“Tell me, G-Boy, when’s your birthday?” asked the plump woman, already planning parties and gifts for her ‘new baby’.  
“I was born on the 2nd of November 1981 and Simon was also born on a 2nd of November, but in 1966.”  
Garcia turned to look at Hotch with wide, sparkling eyes, mouth agape, and the man knew he was in deep shit. He frowned as JJ and Prentiss giggled and Dave snorted. Hopefully, Reid hadn’t arrived yet or they would hear his rambling on coincidences. He wouldn’t be bothered by the rambling, but more by the coincidence.  
“What a coincidence.” drawled Prentiss, a shit-eating grin on her face.  
“What coincidence?” asked Heïdi, who couldn’t read the mood.  
“Hotch was also born on the 2nd of November 1966,” answered Rossi. “And from what Spence told me, your brother is a prosecutor, right? Hotch was too, before becoming a profiler.”  
Said Hotch sighed and joined his team. Heïdi was waiting patiently with his box in his hands. The Unit Chief quickly showed him his desk.   
“Thank you, Mi-… Hotch…” smiled the young man.  
Always that cute smile with dimples. It made Hotch smile too.  
“Ahem… As I told my beloved little brother, I’m only here for a case that I need to talk with the White Collar Crime Division’s Director,” said Simon with a fond smile toward his younger brother.  
Spencer Reid stepped out of the elevator at the same moment, and he beamed when he saw that his friends were there. Much to everyone’s surprise, he hugged Simon and Heïdi. The small peck on his cheek wasn’t unnoticed by the trained profilers and the attentive brother. JJ and Garcia cooed.  
“Sweet kittens, they are so cute…”   
“Well, it’s my cue to leave you. Everyone, it was a pleasure to meet you, please take care of my brother. Spencer, Dee, don’t be reckless, okay?”  
The two geniuses nodded and Spencer helped Heïdi to put his belongings on his desk. There were only a few, mainly small potted succulents in animal-shaped pots, some notepads, and 4 pens. Hotch smiled at the sight of the pots and approached the desk.  
“Those are cute,” he said, touching the peacock shaped one, of course, painted in peacock blue.  
“That one’s Mathias. His favorite animal was a peacock when he was little. His sister made the owl.”  
“One for each nephew and niece, right?”  
“Yes. 6 is a good number. In numerology, it means Harmony, Love, Beauty, and Perfection. Mama taught me numerology.”  
“What’s her job?” asked Hotch, looking at the tiny tiger and the snake.  
“She and Papa are jewelers. They have their brand.”  
Hotch nodded and went back to his office to fulfill paperwork. Derek Morgan arrives a bit late and frowns at the newcomer. It’s Kate’s week-off, so she won’t be there until next Monday.  
“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Agent Morgan.”  
“Yeah, same, Agent.”  
“It’s Doctor. Dr. Nikiforov.” corrected the young man without malice.  
“Doctor in what, exactly?” snarled the dark-skinned agent.  
“Anthropology, Psychology, History, and I’m also a qualified emergency surgeon. I have 2 BA in English and Law. Do you need to know anything else?”  
Morgan grunted something and Heïdi frowned. He may be unable to read the atmosphere, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew the older agent didn’t like him. The only thing he didn’t understand was why, but he shrugged. Derek wouldn’t be the first person to dislike him, and he wouldn’t be the last. When he finished arranging his desk to his liking, Hotch called him in his office. The young man obeyed and sat in front of his boss’s desk. Rossi was there too.  
“We’re going to introduce you to our methods. It shouldn’t take too long, but it’s necessary. Do you feel ready, Bambino?” asked David.  
“Yes, Mister Rossi.”  
“Come on, kiddo, drop the ‘Mister’. I’m not that old. Now, let’s get down to business.”  
Much to the older men’s surprise, they could hear Heïdi sing ‘to defeat the Huns’ under his breath. He looked up and caught his superiors’ wide eyes.  
“Mulan?” grinned Aaron.  
“Y-Yes… We had a Disney marathon last weekend… the songs are stuck in my head, now.”  
“The perks of having nephews and nieces.” nodded Hotch. “Now, let’s talk about those methods.”  
.  
.  
In the bullpen, JJ and Emily were ‘talking’ to Spencer. Interrogating would be a better term, thought the genius. He was feeling a bit antsy and he knew his cheeks were of a bright red.  
“So, you helped him moving in? And you met his family?”  
“Y-Yes… They’re nice.”  
“Already meeting the in-laws, isn’t it? How are they? Is Simon single? He’s a bit small to my liking, but damn, he’s rocking the suit.”  
“His husband will be happy to hear that. And he has two children.”  
“Shame. They’re all taken, that’s what you telling me?” sighed the brunette woman.  
JJ giggled and Reid nodded with a smile, trying to not laugh too.   
“Tell me, Spence, did you liked them?”  
“They’re nice to me and me… I feel part of their family. It’s easy, to talk with them, and they just expect me to be myself, not some representation or expectation they have of me. And Thomas makes awesome chocolate doughnuts with sparkles. He has a gluten-free section in his bakery.”  
“With a baker brother-in-law, you’re finally going to put some meat on those bones.” declared Morgan bitterly.  
“Morgan…” tried Prentiss.  
“Don’t ‘Morgan’ me. I don’t understand what he finds attractive in that spoiled brat!”  
“He’s not a spoiled brat.” frowned Spencer. “You can’t talk like that of someone you don’t know.”  
“Oh, come on! He’s weird and his chewing thing is disgusting!”  
On that remark, Reid stood up and mumbled something before storming out of the bullpen to the elevator. Prentiss and JJ glared at the dark-skinned man before the blonde followed her friend.   
“What?”  
“You couldn’t shut your big mouth once in your life, uh?” spat Emily.  
JJ stood next to Spencer in the elevator and waited for him to talk. But he looked infuriated, his face becoming red and his fist clenched tightly. He was trembling with anger.  
“Spence…”  
“Not now JJ.” mumbled the genius.  
The blonde woman noticed that there weren’t going down, but going up. The elevator finally stopped on the informatic floor. What would Spencer do here? The long-haired man walked to the first desk he saw and talked to the person sitting behind it.  
“Is Mister Nikiforov still here?”  
“Yes. Do you want me to call him?”  
“Please…”  
Less than 2 minutes later, not one but two dark-haired men came to them, looking worried. JJ recognized Simon from earlier, but not the second one.  
“Hey, Little One, what happened?” asked Simon, leading the younger man to sit on a chair in an empty room.  
“You… Told me I could come when things were bad… I came…”  
“Okay, thank you for coming. Can one of you tell what happened for you to be in such a state?”  
“Morgan, he… said bad things on Heïdi… I didn’t like it, so I left.”  
“Do you mind if I talk with your friend? Jean will stay with you.”  
Spencer nodded. He was so frustrated that he could cry at any moment. Damn, he hated those moments. Simon took JJ to the water fountain and frowned at her.  
“I care about Spencer deeply, even if we don’t know each other for long. He’s endearing and smart.”  
“He is. But Derek can be… tough, sometimes. He made sure all those who were interested in Spence left.”  
The older man nodded and encouraged her to continue. JJ sighed.  
“Derek doesn’t understand how Spence can be attracted by a ‘weird, spoiled brat’ who’s ‘chewing is disgusting’.”  
Simon scowled and said nothing. It wasn’t like they weren’t used to that. After all, kids could be mean toward those who were different. Jean and he used to fight a lot to defend their younger brother, and Thomas, closer to Heïdi’s age, was only worse. Kids, teenagers, and then students used to mock the younger Nikiforov, to play bad pranks to him and his brothers would mostly answer with their fists when they were younger. They stopped for years, the perspective of having older and stronger young men at their heels dissuading most of the bullies. They thought it would be over when Heïdi was 9 and came to Moscow’s University with them. Of course, it wasn’t. But the US was more open than USSR, they thought when immigrating. Only that some people could be jealous. However, he didn’t expect an FBI Agent to be like that.  
“I don’t want your brother to know what he said about him, but…”  
“I will tell him. He’s used to those words, you know? I think you do, being Spencer's friend. He doesn’t show it, but those persons hurt him more than he would like. I don’t know everything about him, but I remember every single word those bullies said to my brother, every single thing they did to him. And let me tell you that if Derek Morgan continues to persevere in that way, he might have problems with us.”  
“He’ll stop. Hotch and Rossi won’t allow that to continue. Our Boss already had a word with him, back in New York.”  
Simon nodded and they went back to the room. Spencer’s eyes were red and puffy, and Jean was kneeling in front of him to hug the young genius and rub his back. They parted when JJ and Simon closed the door.  
“Feeling better, Little One?”  
Spencer nodded, kneading his stress ball with force. He looked less angry and a bit more relaxed.   
“Jean, have you finished your work here? We should go home.”  
“I did. Spencer, you can call any of us at any time of day or night, okay? And don’t worry about Dee. He’s a big boy. If things become too much, we will interfere, but not before.”  
Reid stood up and hugged the brothers one last time before following JJ back to their floor.   
“It can seem weird, but I trust them and I already feel close to them.”  
“They are good persons. Very protective of the ones they consider as family. That’s what I understood. I’m glad you met them, Spence.”  
They hugged and the elevator’s doors opened themselves. They walked to the break-room to grab a cup of coffee. Heïdi was still with Hotch and Rossi, and Prentiss was ignoring Morgan at his desk.   
JJ promised herself to tell everything to the older men, even if it would be snitching. This couldn’t continue.  
.  
.  
Two more days passed quickly before they were called for a case. Garcia showed them the pictures with obvious disgust. It was wrecking, to see what was left of those corpses, even for profilers who saw things like that nearly every day.  
“The UNSUB reached a level of violence if never saw,” said Rossi. “Maybe he crushed them with a machine? A grinder?”  
Everyone noticed Heïdi’s frown. He was zooming back and forth on his tablet, playing with his chew toy and groaning, clearly frustrated. His jaw was already working from his concentration.  
“What’s wrong, Nika?” asked Emily.  
In two days, the young man earned his nickname by Emily and Kate. The two women said that ‘Nikiforov’ was too long and they decided to call him ‘Nika’ instead. He liked it because it was an official Russian nickname and it was related to the Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike. But now wasn’t about his nickname, but something wrong and horrid.  
“That wasn’t a machine…”  
“What was it, then?” said Kate, who sat next to the Russian man.  
“See those marks? It isn’t machine-made. Those are teeth marks.”  
“Teeth… Do you mean that someone did that? But how…”  
“Not someone. Those teeth are too long and big to be human. I’d like to call a friend to have her advice, but I think those persons were killed by gorillas.”


	4. Some things need to be told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Delaware is a nice place, but what happens in Wilmington isn't nice at all. Morgan finally says what's on his heart, gorillas are saved and we learn a bit more about Dr. Nikiforov.

The flight to Delaware was quite short and Wilmington was a very nice city. Heïdi knew he would come back, maybe for a small trip. But now, they needed to concentrate on this case. The MO was absolutely horrid and the young man was infuriated. Hotch had called the medical examiner and asked them to test the teeth marks on the bones for gorilla’s teeth. The result had shocked everyone. Heïdi insisted to call a friend.  
“I spent 7 months in her preserve in Congo. She deals with hurt and traumatized wild animals. I remember the things she taught me but she might have an explanation for this violence.”  
“Please call her and put her on speaker so we can hear what she has to say.” nodded Hotch.  
Heïdi used his laptop to call his friend by Skype. Soon, a woman’s face appeared too close to the camera.  
“Dee?! Can you see me?” asked the person way too loudly.  
“Yes. Please move away from the camera. Hi Amy.”  
“My little Bonobo! Why are you calling me? Do you want to come back?” said ‘Amy’ with her thick Dutch accent.  
“Sorry Amy, but no. I have a few questions to ask you. I sent you some pictures and we just had confirmation that it was made by a gorilla. Do you have any idea why they were so violent?”  
Amy looked at the pictures on her laptop and her face stayed neutral. She stayed like that for a minute before speaking again.  
“I’d say… they have rabies. That would be the first time I see that on gorillas or primates in general, but that isn’t impossible. Be careful, because even herbivorous animals can go in the second stage.”  
“What’s the second stage?” asked Kate.  
“The excitative stage. Or furious rabies, as some call it. In that stage, the animal or the human will bite or attack anything near them. That’s the last stage before the paralytic stage and then, the death, caused by respiratory arrest. I know you will try to save them, Dee, but you know the symptoms and if they have rabies, they have to be euthanized. I don’t know your team, but I count on you all to stop that smart asparagus to do something stupid. Okay?”  
“You have my word, Ma’am.”  
“Is he your boy-toy? You know, the one you told me about! What was his name? Erm…”  
Heïdi blushed and Aaron coughed.  
“I’m Aaron Hotchner, the Unit Chief. Not his boyfriend, Ma’am…”  
“Hmm… that’s true, you don’t look like the cutie on the picture… But don’t worry, you’re handsome. I mean, a guy like you should wear a warning.”  
Spencer was as red as a tomato and Hotch would soon join him. Prentiss, JJ, and Kate were giggling. Rossi and Morgan rolled their eyes, the older agent muttering something about eccentric women. Heïdi said something, probably in Dutch and Amy sighed.  
“Okay, take care of you, Kleine Bonobo. Do call me if any of them survive, okay? I would have them without any trouble.” said the woman before ending the call.  
“Who was that?” asked JJ.  
“Annemieke Langbroek, a Dutch Ethologist specialized in Primatology. As I told you, she runs a preserve in Congo. She’s a good friend and she taught me a lot of things about human and primates behavior. We aren’t that different.”  
Before Heïdi and Spencer could go on a speech about DNA, gorillas, humans, and probably the missing link, the plane landed and they went to the rented SUVs.  
The local police weren’t than happy to have them, mainly because it meant acknowledging that a serial killer was running free in their streets. However, Captain Atkins stayed friendly and shook everyone’s hands except Reid’s, who apologized.  
“Nika and Rossi, you go to the last crime scene. JJ and Reid, you meet the victims’ family. Prentiss, Morgan, you go door to door in their neighborhoods. Kate, you stay here with me to gather any information the detectives can give us.”  
“Yes Sir.” nodded the small brunette.  
Everyone went to their missions and Emily took advantage of being alone with Morgan to squeeze some things out of him.  
“Why do you hate him?” she asked after the second house.  
“Who?”  
“You know who I’m talking about. Nika. Heïdi Nikiforov. You hate him and you’re meaner than a teenage bully.”  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”  
“Come on, Derek! You’re being rude, here. Are you jealous or what?”  
“How could I be jealous of… a smart, spoiled brat? And seriously, have you seen him chew on that thing? And what’s wrong with his brothers?”  
“Nika isn’t some spoiled brat like you seem to think. He’s a genius, but Reid is too! And don’t you think you wouldn’t be protective of your little brother, autism or not? Have you heard how many kids picked on Reid when he was younger? At least, Heïdi had siblings to help him with that. And now, thanks to him and his love for Reid, our little genius is finally becoming confident and he’s accepted by someone for who he is. Don’t you think that is wonderful? We only wish the best for him, but you don’t seem to.”  
“I want the best for him! Just… not with that brat…”  
“But maybe with you?” asked Prentiss. “You will forever be his brother, Derek. Never his love interest. You better make peace with that and stop acting like an asshole or Hotch and Rossi might transfer you. Your attitude has consequences and this can’t continue.”  
“I know…” sighed Morgan. “Look, when we go home, I’ll apologize and try to be nice to him. Just give me some time.”  
“You shouldn’t say that to me but to the one, you offended. And Reid too. He was furious against you the other day. Now, let’s get back to work or Hotch will have our heads on spades.”  
Morgan smiled and they continued knocking at each door to get pieces of information.  
.  
.  
The profile had been hard to give, as no one in the police wanted to believe that someone used animals to kill. Hotch grunted at that. He remembered clearly a similar case, but he had to admit it was the first time an UNSUB used monkeys (sorry, Gorillas) to kill. Without Heïdi, they would still be in the mist.  
Hopefully, after nearly 4 days of searching anywhere in the city and the surroundings for a place to keep gorillas without being seen or heard by anyone. And they had no idea of who could gather those animals and infect them with rabies.  
“Garcia, search for primates specialized vets or ethologist who lives in the state,” said Spencer on the fourth day.  
“That makes 3 persons, my G-man. There isn’t any zoo with primates in the state.”  
“Narrow the search to those who lost someone due to rabies. Friends, family, or even an animal,” added Heïdi.  
“Only one! Jake Williams, 64, ethologist. He lost his daughter Mary 40 years ago. She was bitten by a dog who had rabies and died 2 months after.”  
“That’s too long ago for a trigger…” mused Rossi. “The murders began 4 months ago. Did he lost someone else?”  
“His wife, Andrea Williams. She had leukemia and died 5 months ago.” said the computer analyst, typing furiously on her keyboard.  
“That could be our UNSUB.” nodded Kate. “He lost his young daughter, internalized that stress because he had to be strong for his wife. But when she dies, after months or years of suffering as his daughter did, it becomes too much and he seeks revenge.”  
The two older agents nodded and Hotch turned to the new member of the team.  
“Do you remember what your friend Amy said?”  
“Yes. Any of them with symptoms shall be euthanized. There isn’t any specialized zoo in the state, but I know someone who works in Washington and could do that. But if one or more doesn’t have symptoms, I’ll send them to Congo. I can approach gorillas without troubles.”  
“Don’t run into danger, okay, Nika?” warned Prentiss.  
“I won’t. But if they are some unaffected, you will have to listen to me. It won’t be easy since I’m a tall man, but I’m certain I can calm them.”  
“Okay. Garcia, does Jake Williams have any property outside Wilmington?”  
“A warehouse in the woods, 45 kilometers away from any house. Is that good for you?”  
“Excellent. Thank you Sweetheart.” smiled Morgan.  
“You’re welcome, Hot Stuff. And keep my G-Babies safe, okay?”  
“Sure thing, Mama.”  
Heïdi smiled and left the room to call someone while the rest of the team informed the PD of what they found.  
“What will we do with the monkeys?”  
“One of our agents has the formation to deal with them and he’s calling someone to deal with the ones infected.”  
The Captain nodded and gave an order to his men. They had to act quickly if they didn’t want someone else to be beaten to a pulp.  
.  
.  
The warehouse was big and, from distance, no one could hear the gorillas. But when they parked in front of it? There was such a cacophony of screams that the two geniuses had to cover their ears.  
“You two stay here until we arrest Williams, okay?” said Hotch.  
“I’ll come. If he lets out the gorillas on you, it could be disastrous.”  
“You stay here. When does your friend arrive?”  
“15 minutes.”  
“Okay. We arrest him and then, you can come in. Wait near the car.”  
Reid and Nika nodded and waited. There were still the animals' screams, and after 10 minutes, they were anxious that something turned bad. Eventually, the policemen and women came out with the BAU team and a handcuffed man. Morgan made a sign and Heïdi approached.  
“10 of them are in a large cage. They are fighting each other. There is one with two babies in another cage. I’m not an expert, but she’s scared I think.”  
“Okay, thank you, Morgan.”  
“Hey, Nika! Do you need help?”  
“You’re too big to help me, but you can watch from a distance.”  
“I’m coming too!” said Emily. “JJ will lead your friends once they arrive.”  
They followed Morgan to the room where the cages were. Heïdi didn’t approach the largest, where large males were fighting. 2 of them were already dead or seriously injured. The screams were deafening.   
“I can’t do anything with them screaming so loud! She won’t hear or see me!” yelled the young genius above the noise. “We’ll have to wait for the vets!”  
Two minutes later, 4 men arrived, led by JJ. One of them looked familiar, with his jet-black hair and onyx-black eyes. All of them carried hypodermic rifles and looked around before taking aims. Morgan saw the dark-haired man close his eyes 5 seconds and his lips move before he opened them again, ready to shoot. They reached their targets each time, one gorilla falling after some seconds. Once all of them were on the ground, finally silent, the men lowered their rifles.   
“That’s only a tranquilizer. We need to actually approach them for euthanasia.” said the dark-haired man. “I’m Dr. Mathieu Nikiforov and they are my co-workers. From what I saw, the female doesn’t have any rabies symptoms. We can take her and a plane is ready in Washington to send her to Congo.”  
Heïdi ignored his brother to open the smaller cage’s door. Now that silence was made, he could work.  
Under his co-workers’ wide eyes, he curled on himself and knelt until he wasn’t any higher than 5”5’. That was quite impressive. Slowly, he approached the female gorilla who held two infants. It took maybe 20 minutes or more, but she eventually approached the young man. After 30 more minutes, Heïdi exited the cage, holding one of the infants against him and the female’s hand with his free one. He was still shrinking himself and making soft noises to appease her.   
Mathieu and his co-workers led the way to the van where they had a comfortable cage ready. His brother soothed the gorillas until they climbed in the cage and he wrapped the smaller infant in his jacket. Once the doors were closed, Heïdi hugged his brother, and the older man left with his co-workers. Spencer hugged his boyfriend tightly, as he had been worried sick for nearly one hour.  
“Now, you will be fine, Susan.”  
“Susan?”  
“She-Hulk was named Jennifer Susan Walters. She is Yoko’s favorite super-heroin.” answered the taller man.  
Reid nodded. One of Heïdi’s nieces, Yoko Nikiforov, was over heals for Marvel. Especially since her favorite actors played her favorite super-heroes. She was Thomas’ and Asami’s first child and already mature and responsive despite being 14 years old. The young girl gave a good impression to the genius.  
.  
.  
During the flight toward Washington, Emily had many questions for the tall genius.  
“You sang to the gorilla. It was Russian, right?”  
Heïdi nodded and hummed the song he sang earlier to Susan. Something about a ‘Cheburashka’.  
“Wasn’t that a character from Soviet literature?” asked Spencer.  
“Yes. And Mama used to read Uspensky’s books to us. Cheburashka was my favorite since we’re both tumblers. It was published in 1966, the same year Simon and Hotch were born!”  
Hotch frowned. He already heard Garcia talking about ‘common birthday’ since the three of them were born on the 2nd of November. He wasn’t that pleased but the computer analyst was dangerous when birthdays and parties were involved.  
“I never thought about it, but… How was it? I mean, life in USSR?” asked Morgan.  
He already apologized to the young genius and got a cute smile with a firm handshake.  
“I was only ten when the Union was dissolved and, unlike millions of other children, I had the chance to come from a ‘good family’. My Dedushka, my grandpa, he was a high ranked officer in KGB. Kомандующий офицер (commandant officer) Sergueï Vladimirovich Nikiforov. He used to tell us about the KGB’s techniques of interrogation and people's reactions to any situation, how to know if someone lied, or hid something.”  
“Behavioral analysis.” nodded Rossi.   
“Yes. He was deceived when he understood that Simon wouldn’t join the KGB and none of us would, but he never said that. Dedushka always taught us how to fight and told us he was proud of us, even if that wasn’t fully true. USSR’s dissolution broke him.”  
“Is he…” began Kate.  
“He died in 2003. We all went to St Petersburg to see him one last time. He met some of his great-grandchildren and didn’t say anything about most of his grandsons being with men.”  
“He was a good man,” said JJ.  
Heïdi shook his head and glared at the jet’s floor.  
“He wasn’t. A good man wouldn’t have tortured hundreds of persons to make them admit things they probably didn’t do or sent people to a certain and horrible death. No good man would do that and he wasn’t one.” said the young man harshly before his face softened. “He wasn’t a good man, but he was a good Dedushka.”  
For the rest of the flight, he cuddled with Spencer, playing with the other genius’s hair while the latter slept contently against his boyfriend. Despite not wanting to, Derek smiled fondly at the pair.


End file.
